Section A: Finding Your Way Around the Office

UNIT 3

COMPANY STRUCTURE

SECTION A: FINDING YOUR WAY AROUND THE OFFICE

TASK SHEET 1:

Group the following words under the following headings:

machinery stationeryfurniture

Can you add other words to the three columns?

TASK SHEET 2:

Choose the most suitable word or phrase and fill in the blanks:

The ………… needs changing on your typewriter; otherwise we won’t be able to read a word.

a) letterb) keyc) oild) ribbon

Write in pencil and …………… out any mistakes.

a) rubb) cleanc) scratch d) wipe

The paper was so thin that the ………… of the pencil went right through it.

a) edgeb) endc) pointd) top

With a word ………… you can produce a document much faster than with a typewriter.

a) computerb) processorc) copierd) printer

She ………… up the sheet of paper and dropped into the waste paper basket.

a) bentb) crumpledc) broked) curled

Paper clips, drawing pins and safety-pins were …………. all over her desk.

a) scatteredb) sprayedc) separatedd) dispersed

I need a ………… to fasten the sheets of paper in this file.

a) staplerb) ribbonc) tied) bolt

Ted is in charge of the ………… cupboard in the office.

a) stationaryb) penc) pencild) stationery

Alice hurriedly ………… the message on a scrap of paper.

a) wrote upb) scribbled awayc) dashed offd) jotted down

The word processor ………… of a keyboard, a monitor and a printer.

a) composesb) consistsc) comprisesd) constitutes

TASK SHEET 3:

Match the descriptions a) to j) with the explanations 1) to 10):

a) Amanda was headhunted by a multinational company. / 1) She is always busy.
b) Samantha is at the end of her tether. / 2) She doesn’t have the chance to become complacent.
c) Monica’s assistant was given the sack. / 3) She’s working hard.
d) Jennifer really has her nose to the grindstone. / 4) She didn’t get promoted.
e) Sonia was given a golden handshake. / 5) She was offered a better job.
f) Claire took on a new secretary. / 6) She has become successful.
g) Alison is on the go all day. / 7) She was dismissed.
h) Brenda was overlooked. / 8) She received a cash bonus on leaving her job.
i) Christine has made good. / 9) She has run out of patience.
j) Ellen’s boss keeps her on her toes. / 10) She gave someone a job.

TASK SHEET 4:

Put each of the following words and phrases into its correct place in the passage below:

TELEPHONE ETIQUETTE

Know the right number before making a …………. When in doubt, consult a …………, your personal number list, or the information ………….
Allow time to …………. Give the person you are calling enough time to ………… his telephone. A little patience may ………… you a second call.
Speak distinctly and in a normal ………… of voice. Your lips should be about an inch away from the ………….
Answer promptly. Try to answer your telephone on the first …………. Otherwise the ………… may hang up and you might miss an important message.
………… yourself when you answer the …………. Do not merely say “Hello”. Give your name, your telephone …………, or the name of your firm.
Take messages for people who are not there. Write down the name and telephone number of the person calling. Place the ………… where it can be seen.
…………… gently. Slamming the ………… down is discourteous. Be sure the receiver is always ………… properly. Otherwise no calls can ………… to you.
Here is a simplified representation of a telephone conversation. Follow the orientation on the arrows and you will get out of the “labyrinth”.

SECTION B: DESCRIBING THE COMPANY STRUCTURE

TASK SHEET 1:

Read the text below, about different ways of organizing companies and then label the diagrams, according to which of these they illustrate; the underlined words may prove useful in your final decision.

line structurematrix structure

functional structurestaff structure

ABCD

------

COMPANY STRUCTURE

Most organizations have a hierarchical or pyramidal structure, with one person or a group of people at the top, and an increasing number of people below them at each successive level. There is a clear line or chain of command running down the pyramid. All the people in the organization know what decisions they are able to make, who their superior (or boss) is (to whom they report), and who their immediate subordinates are (to whom they can give instructions).

Some people in an organization have colleagues who help them: for example, there might be an Assistant to the Marketing Manager. This is known as a staff position: its holder has no line authority, and is not integrated into the chain of command, unlike, for example, the Assistant Marketing Manager, who is number two in the marketing department.

Yet the activities of most companies are too complicated to be organized in a single hierarchy. Shortly before the first world war, the French industrialist Henry Fayol organized his coal-mining business according to the functions that it had to carry out. He is generally credited with inventing functional organization. Today, most large manufacturing organizations have a functional structure, including (among others) production, finance, marketing, sales and personnel or staff departments. This means, for example, that the production and marketing departments cannot take financial decisions without consulting the finance department.

Functional organization is efficient, but there are two standard criticisms. Firstly, people are usually more concerned with the success of their department than that of the company, so there are permanent battles between, for example, finance and marketing, or marketing and production, which have incompatible goals. Secondly, separating functions is unlikely to encourage innovation.

Yet, for a large organization manufacturing a range of products, having a single production department is generally inefficient. Consequently, most large companies are decentralized, following the model of Alfred Sloan, who divided General Motors into separate operating divisions in 1920. Each division had its own engineering, production and sales departments, made a different category of car (but with some overlap, to encourage internal competition) and was expected to make a profit.

Businesses that cannot be divided into autonomous divisions with their own markets can simulate decentralization, setting up divisions that deal with each other using internally determined transfer prices. Many banks, for example, have established commercial, corporate, private banking, international and investment divisions.

An inherent problem of hierarchies is that people at lower levels are unable to make important decisions, but have to pass on responsibility to their boss. One solution to this is matrix management, in which people report to more than one superior. For example, a product manager with an idea might be able to deal directly with managers responsible for a certain market segment and for a geographical region, as well as the managers responsible for the traditional functions of finance, sales and production. This is one way of keeping authority at lower levels, but it is not necessarily a very efficient one. Thomas Peters and Robert Waterman, in their well-known book In Search of Excellence, insist on the necessity of pushing authority and autonomy down the line, but they argue that one element – probably the product – must have priority; four-dimensional matrices are far too complex.

A further possibility is to have wholly autonomous, temporary groups or teams that are responsible for an entire project, and are split up as soon as it is successfully completed. Teams are often not very good for decision-making, and they run the risk of relational problems, unless they are small and have a lot of self-discipline. In fact they still require a definite leader, on whom their success probably depends.

SUMMARY:

TASK SHEET 2:

Match up the words on the left with the definitions on the right:

1. autonomousA. a system of authority with different levels,

one above the other

2. decentralizationB. a specific activity in a company, e.g. production,

marketing, finance

3. functionC. independent, able to take decisions without consulting

a higher authority

4. hierarchyD. people working under someone else in a hierarchy

5. line authorityE. dividing an organization into decision-making units

that are not centrally controlled

6. report toF. the power to give instructions to people at the level

below in the chain of command

7. subordinatesG. to be responsible to someone and to take instructions

from him or her

TASK SHEET 3:

The text mentions the often incompatible goals of the finance, marketing and production (or operations) departments.

Classify the following strategies according to which departments would probably favour them.

a factory working at full capacity
a large advertising budget
a large sales force earning high commission
a standard product without optional features
a strong cash balance
a strong market share for new products
generous credit facilities for customers
high profit margins
large inventories to make sure that products are available
low research and development spending
machines that give the possibility of making various different products
self-financing (using retained earnings rather than borrowing)

TASK SHEET 4:

This is an example of part of a company organization chart:

The most common verbs for describing structure are:

e.g. The company consists of five main departments.

The marketing department is made up of three units.

The sales department is divided into two sections.

Other verbs frequently used to describe company organization include:

e.g. The marketing department is in charge of the sales force.

The marketing department is responsible for advertising, sales promotions and market research.

The five department heads are accountable to the Managing Director.

Using the above mentioned structures, comment upon the company organization chart, trying to figure out, at the same time, the domain of interest and activities of each department and the nexus of relationships existing among them.

TASK SHEET 5:

Choose among the three options given for each and every sentence the most appropriate one. After you have decided on the correct answer, make up definitions using the same structure as in the following example:

e.g.: A retailer is a person who/that sells goods to ultimate consumers, usually in small quantities.

1)The employees responsible for carrying out general office duties, filling in forms and keeping statistics are:

a)clerksb) accountants c) supervisors

2)The employees who sell a company's products are the sales representatives, usually known as:

a)vendors b) renters c) reps

3)The employees who decide what to purchase, and who make the purchases of finished goods or components to be made into goods, are the:

a)choosers b) procurers c) buyers

4)The employees who are responsible for seeing that the finished goods are well made are the:

a)packers b) quality controllers c) financial staff

5)The clerical workers who use typewriters or word processors and who produce letters, memos or other documents, are:

a)secretaries b) editors c) copywriters

6)The employees who check a company's financial affairs are the:

a)statisticians b) accountants c) counters

7)The employees who are responsible for preparing checks, pay packets and pay lips are the:

a)wages clerks b) filing clerks c) paying clerks

8)The workers who process data, under the control of managers and supervisors, are the computer:

a)hackers b) operators c) screeners

9)The person who gets a visitor and tells him or her how to get to the right office is the:

a)manager b) president c) receptionist

10)The employees who deal with the company's telephone calls are the:

a)VDU operators b) telex operatorsc) switch operators

TASK SHEET 6:

Give your own definitions of the following “positions” in a company; then check your own answers with a dictionary:

a) a wholesaler

b) a secretary

c) a chairperson

d) an auditor

e) a managing director

f) a shareholder

g) a Yuppie

h) Human Resources Manager

SECTION C: LETTERS: MEMORANDA (MEMOS)

A MEMORANDUM TUTORIAL

a memo is an internal company document;

its purpose: to inform or remind the recipient of some company activity or decision that need to be brought to their attention;

it is not necessary to write the address of the sender or recipient, as they are in the same company, although you may find a company heading on a memo form;

there is no official salutation (Dear Mr./Mrs……)

the sender’s name and position may be written either at the top or at the end;

there is a heading at the top with all the essential information labeled clearly, with a different lay-out from that of a letter;

the date should be specified, as the recipient needs to know how recent the information is in case it requires action; at the same time, it will probably have to be filed, which makes the date more relevant;

a memo, basically, contains three parts:

introducing the notion at stake
states the exact actions it demands
notifies the staff of their responsibilities

there is no ending (Yours faithfully/sincerely) as long as the salutation is missing too.

TASK SHEET 1:

Now try to write a memo yourselves, filling in the following format:

INTERMEMO

OFFICE

To: …………………………………………………. Financial Manager

From : ………………………………………………………………………

Subject: ………………………………………………………………………

Date:

TASK SHEET 2:

Read the following memos and decide on their subject:

TO: Members of the Research Department

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR APPOINTMENT

It is a pleasure to announce the appointment of George Black as assistant director in our Research Department. He will fill the position left open by Jane Clark, who recently moved to Atlanta.

George, who has worked in market research for more than a decade, is familiar with all stages of activity in our department, having once handled each major function from questionnaire development to product testing. His solid background and full understanding of our varied needs and problems make him exceptionally well qualified to handle the challenges that characterize his position.

I know that George will welcome your full cooperation and consideration as he assumes his new duties. We all wish him much success.

TO: All Department Heads

APRIL MEETING

The next meeting of department heads will be on Wednesday, April 11, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. in the Conference Room. Lunch will be provided in the Executive Dining Room.

An agenda will be mailed on March 28. Please send any items to be included to my secretary by March 25.

I would appreciate hearing from you right away if you are unable to attend. Thank you very much.

GRAMMAR SECTION: RELATIVE CLAUSES

There are two kinds of relative clause in English:

-Defining (or identifying) relative clauses tell us which person or thing the speaker is talking about: The people who live next door have bought a dog.

Where’s the book that I lent you?

-Non-defining (or non-identifying) relative clauses just give us more information about the person or thing: Mrs. Smith, who lives next door, has bought a dog.

I’m reading “The Idiot”, which is a novel by Dostoyevsky.

DEFINING RELATINE CLAUSES: PRONOUNS

PERSON / THING
Subject
Object
Possessive
Place / who/that
(who/that)
whose
- / which/that
(which/that)
-
where

If the relative pronoun is the object of the relative clause, it can be left out:

-She’s the person you met on Saturday. ( = who/that you met)

-Where’s the book I lent you? ( - which/that I lent you)

In more formal English, we use whom as an object pronoun to refer to people:

-He is the man whom I admire greatly.

If the relative clause contains a preposition, it can be left “hanging” at the end of the clause:

-Are you the person I spoke to yesterday?

-This is the chair I usually sit in.

In more formal English, the preposition comes before the relative pronoun:

-Are you the person to whom I spoke yesterday?

-The village in which I grew up no longer exists.

NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES

Non-defining relative clauses are used to give additional information. Compare:

-My best friend Anna has just moved to Clichy.

-My best friend Anna, who I went to school with, has just moved to Clichy, which is a town just near Paris.

They are always separated from the main part of the sentence by commas.

In non-defining relative clauses we can use who, which, whose or where, but not that. It is not possible to leave out the pronoun:

-My grandmother, who is 80 next month, has just gone into hospital.

-My oldest possession is my camera, which I was given at my tenth birthday. (not: that I was given)

-In 1993, Steven Spielberg made “Schindler’s List”, for which he received an Oscar.

-The shop at the end of the street, where I usually buy my bread, has closed down.

In more formal English, we can use whom as an object pronoun or after prepositions:

-Professor Johnson, whom you may already know, will talk to us about butterflies.

-Her brother, to whom she dedicated her first novel, is still alive.

CLEFT SENTENCES

We use cleft sentences to give emphasis to a particular part of the sentence. Compare:

The Americans landed on theMoon, not the Russians.

→ It was the Americans who landed on the Moon, not the Russians, or:

It wasn’t the Russians that landed on the Moon. It was the Americans.

I admire Peter’s honesty.

→ The thing I admire most about Peter is his honesty.

Cleft sentences with It:

It was John / who spoke to you,
(who you met) / not Alex.
It wasn’t Alex / that spoke to you.
(that) you met. / It was John.

Cleft sentences with What or The thing (that):

What
The thing / I really enjoy is eating outside.
What
The thing / I hate about Mondays is getting up early.

EXERCISE 1:

Add relative clauses defining the words in italics, using contact clauses where appropriate.